Ice-creeper attachment for horseshoes.



S. P. SMITH.

10B GREEPBB. ATTACHMENT FOR HORSBSHOES.

APPLIOATION FILED AUG. 6, 1912.

1,075,870; Patented 0013.14, 1913.

ATTORN EY COLUMBIA PLANOORAPH CO..WASHINGTON D c SAMUEL P. SMITH, OF ST. PARIS, OHIO.

ICE-CREEPER ATTACHMENT FOR HORSESHOES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. ME, 1913.

Application filed August 6, 1912. Serial No. 713,694.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL P. SMITH, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Paris, in the county of Champaign and State 5 of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Ice- Creeper Attachment for Horseshoes, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in ice creeper attachments for horse shoes.

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction of ice creeper attachments for horse shoes, and to provide a simple, inexpensive and eflicient device of great strength and durability, adapted to be easily and quickly applied to and removed from any horse shoe without the assistance of a blacksmith or other skilled mechanic, and equipped with means for firmly securing it in position.

A further object of the invention is to provide an attachment of this character, which will not interfere with the frog of the hoof and in which the adjusting and clamping means for securing the device to a shoe will not operate to spread the same.

WVith these and other objects in view, the

invention consists in the construction and novel combination of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying -idrawing, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended; it being understood that various changes in the form, proportion, size and minor details of construction, within the scope of the claims, may be resorted to -without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the inven tion.

In the draw1ng:-F1gure 1 1s a reverse lan view of an ice creeper attachment, constructed in accordance with this invention and shown applied to a horse shoe. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is a sectional view, taken substantially on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a transverse sectional view on the line 44: of Fig. 1.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawing.

In the accompanying drawing in which is illustrated the preferred embodiment of the invention, the ice creeper attachment for horse shoes comprlses 1n its constructlon a transverse toe member 1, spaced longitudinal heel members 2 and spaced longltudinally disposed adjusting means connected with the heel and toe members. The transverse toe member, which fits against the toe calk 3 of an ordinary horse shoe 4;, extends across the front of the horse shoe and is provided with an upwardly extending flange 5 curved to conform to the configuration of and fitting against the inner edge of the front portion of the horse shoe and extending to the upper face of the same and provided with forwardly extending projections 6, which engage the upper face of the horse shoe. By this construction the toe member is securely interlocked with the front portion of the horse shoe, and when pressure is applied by the adjusting means hereinafter described, the toe member is securely retained in such interlocked relation.

The toe member is provided with spaced rearwardly extending ears 7, having openings for the reception of rivets 8, or other suitable fastening devices for pivoting tubular front sections or members 9 to the side portions of the toe member. The tubular members are provided with forwardly extending ears 10, overlapping the ears 7 of the toe member and provided with openings through which the pivots 8 pass. The pivots 8 have countersunk heads arranged in flush relation with the outer faces of the ears 7 and 10. The flange 5 of the toe member is provided at its ends with curved extensions 11 formed integral with the ears 7 and arranged at the inner edges thereof and adapted to brace and strengthen the construction.

The heel members consist of blocks or pieces arranged against the rear portions of the sides of the horse shoe and fitted against the heel calks 12 thereof. They are provided with integral side or body portions 13 and include longitudinal flanges to fit against the lower faces of the sides of the horse shoe and are provided with lugs 14: projecting from the said side or body portions 13 in spaced relation with the longitudinal flanges and adapted to fit against the upper face of the horse shoe. By this construction, the heel members besides being firmly seated against the heel calks 12 are interlocked with the side portions of the horse shoe. The side portion 13 of the heel member is provided with a longitudinal bore and the tubular member 9 and the heel member are provided with interior screw threads 15 and 16 to receive right and left hand threaded portions of a longitudinal adjusting screw 17. The longitudinal adjusting or straining screw, which is located in spaced relation with the adjacent side of the shoe and in substantial parallelism with the same, is provided intermediate of its ends with a polygonal wrench receiving portion 18 and is adapted to be rotated to force the toe and heel members apart in tight engagement with the front portion of the horseshoe and the heel calks thereof and to draw the same together, whereby they are engaged with and disengaged from the horse shoe.

The ice creeper attachment is adapted to be easily and quickly applied to and removed from a horse shoe and is adapted to fit horse shoes of various sizes. The pivotal connection between the tubular members of the adjusting devices and the toe member permits the heel members to be swung laterally into and out of engagement with the sides of the horse shoe. The spaced heel members and the spaced longitudinal adjusting devices provide an intervening central longitudinal space to avoid interfering with the frog of the hoof and lie upon opposite sides of the frog. Also as the pressure is against the heel and toe calks, there is no tendency to spread the shoe and afiect the fastening means thereof in applying the device to the same.

The heel and toe members are provided with threaded openings 19 and 20 to receive threaded shanks 21 of calks 22, which may be of any preferred construction and which prevent a horse from slipping on smooth surfaces and afford a firm foothold for the animal.

lVhat is claimed is 1. An ice creeper attachment for horse shoes comprising a transverse toe member arranged to fit against and extend across the front of a horse shoe at the lnner edge thereof, spaced pivots carried by the toe member and located at the front of thehorse shoe at opposite sides of the center thereof, separate heel members arranged to: fit against the heel calks and side portions of the horse shoe, and separate spaced adustable straining means extending longitudinally of the horse shoe and connected with the said pivots at the front of the: horse shoe and extending longitudinally thereof to the heel members, said straining means being arranged between the side portions of the horse shoe, and the said heel members and the said straining means being located at opposite sides of the center of the horse shoe and providing an open central space practically the entire length of the horse shoe for the frog of the hoof, whereby the ice creeper is adapted to lie beyond the frog.

2. An ice creeper attachment for horse shoes comprising a transverse toe member arranged to engage and extend across the front of a horse shoe and fit against the inner edge thereof, separate spaced longitudinally disposed heel members arranged to engage the heel calks and sides of the horse shoe, and separate longitudinally disposed straining devices connected with the heel members and pivoted to the toe memher at opposite sides of the center thereof at the front of the horse shoe, each. straining device including a screw adapted to create a pressure lengthwise of the horse shoe, said straining devices being, spaced from and located between the side portions of the horse shoe and also spaced apart to provide a central frog receiving space practically the entire length of the horse shoe, whereby the ice creeper attachment is adapted to lie beyond the frog of a hoof.

3. An ice creeper attachment for horse shoes comprising a transverse toe member arranged to bear against the toe calk of a horse shoe and extending across the front portion thereof, separate heel members arranged to fit against the heel calks of a horse shoe, and separate adjustable strain ing devices including longitudinally disposed screws, and tubular front sections pivoted to the toe member at opposite sides of the center thereof at the front of the horse shoe and receiving the screws, said 4. An ice creeper attachment for horse;

shoes including a toe member arranged to extend across the front portlon of the horse shoe, heel members arranged to engage with bores, opposite tubular members pivoted to the toe member, and adjusting screws extending into the tubular members and the bores of the heel members.

5. An ice creeper attachment for horse shoes including toe member, heel members; provided with interiorly threaded bores, op-

posite tubular members connected with the toe member and having interior screw threads, and right and left hand threaded adjusting screws engaging the threads of,

the heel members and the tubular members.

6. An ice creeper attachment for horse shoes including a transverse toe member extending across the front of a horse shoe and engaging the front edge thereof, heel members located at the inner edges of the sides of the horse shoe and fitted against the heel calks and provided with lower longitudinal flanges to fit against the lower faces of the sides of the horse shoe and having upper projecting lugs spaced from the said flanges and engaging the upper faces of the side a the heel calks of the shoe and provided with V portions of the horse shoe, and separate adjustable straining devices connected to the toe member at opposite sides of the center thereof at the front of the horse shoe and also connected with the heel members and provided with means for creating a pressure lengthwise of the horse shoe, said straining devices being located between and spaced from the side portions of the horse shoe and also spaced apart to provide a central frog receiving space practically the entire length In testimony that I claim the foregoing 15 as my own, I have hereto aflixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

SAMUEL P. SMITH.

Witnesses:

JOHN E. KITE, C. G. ARLOGAST. l

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0. 

